Gopalpur beach festival beckons: The Telegraph

BERHAMPUR: Preparations are on in full swing for the Gopalpur beach festival that will commence on December 24, at the serene beach resort near Berhampur city. The five-day festival of music and dance is being organised by the Ganjam District Hotel Association in collaboration with the Song and Drama Division, the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), the state culture and tourism department, the Ganjam district administration and the district council of culture. “Singers from both Bollywood and the Oriya film industry have been roped in to entertain the crowd. We expect a large number of tourists from the country and abroad this year,” said Uma Shankar Panigrahy, president Ganjam District Hotel Association and the convenor of the festival. “We have given priority to folk art forms and cultural troupes from across the country who will take part in this beach festival,” said V. Santosh Kumar, co-convenor of the festival. Jodi Sankha (blowing of twin conch shells), Odissi and Sambalpuri dance, Danda Chadheya folk dance, Gotipua, Gond dance of Nabarangpur, Dongria Kondh dance from Rayagada, Ghumra of Kalahandi, animal mask dance, Chinese folk dance and so on will be features of this five-day festival. Artistes from various states will also perform. Visitors to the beach festival can also look forward to fusion dance Sankha Cheel by a troupe from Calcutta, Sidigamma dance from Gujarat, Debojit Saha and troupe from Mumbai, and Kuchipudi by Laxman Kumar from Andhra Pradesh. Renowned singer from the Oriya film industry Sakti Mishra and Rex De’Souza from the Mumbai film industry will also be performing. Berhampur’s Prince Dance Group, which was the winner in the India’s Got Talent show on Colors TV, will perform on the last day of the festival, according to the organisers. 

The state tourism department has included the five-day Gopalpur beach festival in the tourism calendar. “This will help us better market the event outside the state,” said an organiser. The first Gopalpur beach festival was started in the year 1996 to promote tourism and culture. The concept of the festival was conceived by V. Santosh Kumar. “The beach festival was discontinued for three consecutive years — 1999-2001 — and again in 2005, 2006 and 2007 due to various reasons,” Kumar said. He added that the total budget estimate of the festival is Rs 20 lakh. “The festival has several sponsors: corporate houses and public undertakings including Tata Steel, Gopalpur Port Limited, IRE Limited and many others. We have decided not to collect a single paise from the public to organise the festival, but we always welcome any voluntary contributions.” One hundred stalls are being prepared at the festival sites that have been booked by the corporate, government agencies and private concerns. “Special provision has been made for parking during the festival. The public can proceed up to Gopalpur Bus Stand with their vehicles where we have arranged for seven parking spots. We expect inflow of about 50,000 on each day and about a lakh on Sunday to Gopalpur. Arrangements have been made accordingly,” Kumar said. Artistes will be staying at the Youth Hostel of Gopalpur. “We will also accommodate many artistes in Berhampur. The total number of artistes is expected between 1,500 and 2,000,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph